Thousandfeathers
by The Rocket Dog
Summary: A cloaked princess flees from her father's madness, straight into the arms of the haughty Goblin Prince. S/J AU
1. A King's Madness

**inspired by "all-kinds-of-fur", a short fairy tale by the brothers grimm.**

* * *

****

"She is fast fading, my lord."

Sarah cringed as the healer's soft voice cut through the silence in the room, her eyes flicking over to her father automatically. He was sitting on the other side of the queen's bed, holding one of her delicate, pale hands in his own.

"Is there nothing that can be done?" He whispered hoarsely, his eyes never leaving his wife's face as she shifted restlessly.

The dark-haired man at the foot of the bed bowed his head, and said nothing.

"Sarah?"

The dark-haired princess turned her head as her little brother crept into the room, looking timid. She raised a finger to her lips as he walked over, his eyes wide against his white face.

"Sarah, what's wrong? Has mother gotten worse?"

The queen moaned quietly at her son's voice and turned her head towards the sound, but her eyes remained closed.

Not knowing what to say, Sarah turned to the healer, who summoned Tobias to his side with a crook of his finger and bent his head to mutter in the boy's ear. Her brother's face began to break down into despair, and suddenly not knowing if she could face any more grief, Sarah rose quickly and muttered a hurried excuse, slipping quietly out of the room. The guards at the door gave her questioning glances, but all she could do was shrug her shoulders.

What was there to say?

Her mother had always been frail, from the time she was born. Sarah had heard all of the tales of how the princes used to call her a pale, sickly bird, and they would taunt her, telling her that no prince would ever want her. Perhaps that was why she withdrew herself into a fantasy world, where she was the star, and everyone loved her.

And when her father came, he had been the perfect prince charming to sweep her off her feet. Intrigued by her lively imagination and ready smiles, he asked for her hand in marriage. Her parents, who had bemoaned their misfortune at having such a daughter before, now gushed in approval, and knew nothing but kind words for their child.

The queen's happiness made her healthier, for she now had her love to live for. But she was always the first of the family to succumb to chills and fevers in the winter months, and with this winter, the worst anyone in the kingdom could remember, she had been bedridden with a terrible illness for the past two months.

"Oh! Sarah, dear, do watch where you're going!"

The voice came from underfoot, and the princess leapt aside with a squeal.

"Oh, Leoir, did I tread on you?"

The blue worm looked up at her with wide orange eyes. "Of course not, my lady, though it was a very near miss."

Sarah stooped down and quickly scooped up the diplomat into her palm. "What were you doing in the halls at this hour?" She asked, holding her hand up to her shoulder as Leoir inched on to the sleeve of her gown.

"I was making my way to sit with the king."

Distress flared in the pit of her stomach at the thought of her crushed father, but she stifled it quickly. "Surely one of the guards could have carried you."

He sniffed. "I'm not so helpless that I can't make my way around my own home, young miss."

Her lips twitched, and the smile felt foreign and out of place. "All the same, allow me to take you there."

"You are very kind, Princess, but suddenly I feel as though he's not the one who needs me the most right now." Sarah turned her head to see that the diplomat was eying her shrewdly. "What were _you_ doing in the halls at this hour?"

Sarah didn't think her needs were anything compared to those of her father's but she humored her friend regardless. "I just needed…I wanted to get some air."

A half-truth, at best, and the noncommittal grunt from her companion told her that he had seen it for what it was.

"You don't have to go back there, Sarah."

She reached up to run the tip of her finger over his head, remembering how the coarse hair had tickled her hand as a child. "I have to support my family," she said softly. "Toby and father are in there, and they need me more than ever right now. Mother needs me too."

Leoir hummed quietly. "Your strength is admirable, Princess. You shall make a good queen one day."

A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she began to retrace her steps. "Sometimes the thought of me ruling something is quite daunting."

"As it should be. If you thought that you could do anything, I'd be quite worried for the safety of this kingdom."

"But inexperience could lead to weakness."

"As recklessness could lead to unnecessary conflict. Your caution will make you wise."

Sarah frowned. "I wouldn't call it caution. It's more akin to ignorance, in my case."

The worm snorted. "Of course you're ignorant, you haven't been exposed to much of royal politics as of yet. If it puts your mind at ease, Tobias often expresses the same concerns, and he's the one who is being preened for his future as the king of these lands."

"But it just seems so difficult-"

Leoir cut her off with a dry cough. "Are you arguing with the King's most trusted advisor?"

Sarah arched a thin brow. "Did you just interrupt the King's most beloved daughter?"

He chuckled quietly. "So I did. But worry not, Sarah, you have a few good years yet before anyone will seek your hand. Don't be so concerned with the future."

"Oh, very well." Sarah casted about for a change in subject as she walked briskly down another hall. "While we're on the subject of queens and kingdoms, where were you coming from just now?"

"Ah, the Goblin Kingdom."

Her nose automatically winkled in distaste. "Such a dirty place."

"It is not, and as you very well know, King Airdeall is a very good friend of your father's. Now do you want to hear more or not?"

Chastened, Sarah bowed her head.

"Yes, that's what I thought. Quite contrary to your misjudgments, that kingdom is quite organized and well-managed. Airdeall certainly knows what he's doing, in any case. The goblins wreak their usual havoc, but do it in such ways that don't get in the way."

"Such as?"

"I believe they're very fond of chickens."

Sarah choked back a laugh.

"But, in all truthfulness, their subjects don't present half the problems that their son does."

"Son? What's he like?"

Leoir spared her a sly glance. "Caught your attention, have I?"

Sarah flushed darkly. "Of course not, I was merely curious!"

"Of course you were. I haven't met him in person, he's usually in his room brooding or out flying."

"Flying?" Sarah echoed.

"Yes, flying, he can turn into an owl at will. Now, are you going to keep interrupting me or may I actually tell my story?"

Sarah nodded mutely, but her mind was really soaring someplace else, high above the treetops and clouds. She wondered what it would be like to be able to turn into a bird and find some faraway paradise in the stars, and felt her heart race in response to her imaginings.

"Apparently, his parents are having a great deal of trouble in finding him a bride."

She frowned. "Is he truly that awful?"

"I don't think so. He seems to be highly intelligent, and from the amount of girls he has flocking to him, I doubt he's lacking when it comes to good looks."

"So what's his problem?"

"You've studied the fair folk in your tutoring classes, have you not? Did you ever learn how, er, _appreciative_ the fae are when it comes to, er…"

"Leoir, I may not be as old as you, but I am no longer a child," Sarah growled irritably. "You don't have to tiptoe around my innocence; I know you're talking about sex."

Leoir coughed uncomfortably. "All the same, it's not a subject I should be discussing with you. However, you are correct. Fae naturally find it very hard to remain loyal to a single partner."

Sarah blinked. "But what of Airdeall and Maidin? They are both fae, and they have always been loyal to each other."

"They are a special case. Indeed, I myself have been in other courts where their monogamy is openly scoffed at." His eyes narrowed coldly. "And make no mistake, I wasted no time in telling them off."

"So, you think this prince doesn't want to be married because he doesn't wish to be tied to one woman?"

"Yes and no. There are several fae couples who practice "marriage" simply for the sake of having a King and a Queen, but neither person has any qualms about infidelity. So, technically, the prince could marry anyone he chooses and still live an adulterous lifestyle."

"Hmm, what an enigma."

"Indeed." The worm grunted. "This is why humans don't normally tangle in the affairs of the fair folk. They're far too mysterious."

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "You don't seem to have a problem with King Airdeall."

"Again, he is a special case. That pair is probably the most normal of the lot of them."

"You mean the most human."

"Exactly."

Sarah didn't have time to debate Leoir's prejudice against the majority of the fae race because they had reached her mother's chambers. The guards stepped aside immediately to let her through the door, and she entered quietly.

Toby had taken her empty place at her mother's left side, while her father still sat on her right, her hand still clasped in his own as if he would never let it go, a curtain of his golden hair falling across his face as he hung his head.

The healer glanced at her. "I was just about to send for you," he breathed softly. "She is very close to death."

She blinked back her tears and nodded to him respectfully as she brushed past, picking Leoir, who had fallen silent, up off her shoulder and depositing him on the table beside the bed next to her father. Sarah trailed her hand across the king's shoulders, but his only response was a slight stiffening of the back. Sadly, she let her hand drop and walked around the bed to stand at her brother's side.

They did not have to wait long. The queen's gasps grew louder, and the rustling of her bedclothes as she tossed and turned beneath the sheets filled the entire room. Tears stung her eyes, and this time Sarah let them fall across her face, leaving hot, wet trails in their wake.

"Robert?"

The king leaned over her, his other hand reaching out to cup her face tenderly. "Melinda. I am here."

"Please, Robert…"

The sight of her father stroking her mother's pale face brought another fresh wave of tears, and Toby turned his face away, burying it in the hollow of her throat. Sarah ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. In her liftetime, she had attended the funerals of a few family members, so she was no stranger to death. But Toby had always been too young to understand. She held him close as he sobbed quietly, his tears soaking the neckline of her gown.

"You should rest, my Queen."

She laughed, the sound like nails on chalkboard. "I know I am dying, Robert. Please…please listen to my request."

He looked at her intently. "Anything, my love. Anything for you."

The queen smiled weakly at him. "I was never the most beautiful of women. And you deserve someone truly wonderful. When I am gone, promise me that you will marry the most beautiful woman in the kingdoms, a beautiful woman with my spirit and my imagination."

Toby looked up at Sarah, and they exchanged confused glances. But if their father thought anything seemed amiss, he said nothing. "Of course, my Queen. It shall be done."

Satisfied by his response, their mother turned her head to her children. Sarah took her mother's other hand, and Toby clasped his hand on top of hers.

"My children," she rasped. "My wonderful children."

And then her breathing hitched and her body shuddered. They could only watch in silence as her eyes closed for the last time.

"My lady, please, it is time for you to wake."

Sarah cracked her eyes open to glare at the faerie who was perched on the rim of a glass of water sitting on her night table.

"Leanun, the sun hasn't even risen. Be gone."

"I implore you, princess, your father demands it."

Her father demands it? Sarah sat up, suddenly very wide awake. Her father never demanded anything of them.

"What's going on?"

A knock sounded at her door, followed by a hesitant whisper. "Sarah?"

Tobias. Maybe he had an idea. "The door's open, Toby!"

He slipped in and shut the door behind him, still in his nightclothes, and sat on the end of her bed. Leanun glowered at him and fluttered her wings. "A boy in a lady's chamber is highly improper."

Sarah resisted the urge to give the faerie a good flick. "He's my brother. You know that."

Leanun huffed and crossed her arms. "What shall I tell the King, then?" She inquired icily.

"That we will be down shortly."

The faerie scowled at the pair of them and leapt onto the windowsill and out into the pre-dawn sky.

"Pest," Sarah muttered under her breath, and Toby cracked a smile before it turned into a deep frown. "So, what's all this demanding about, anyways."

"I woke up about an hour ago because I heard a carriage coming up. I got out of bed and snuck over to the Entrance Hall just as this lady walked in." He wrinkled his nose. "She looked like one of your old dolls, Sarah, all dressed up with her hair done and this fake smile. And then father entered from the throne room and greeted her and all that and took her arm…" his voice trailed off.

Sarah groaned. "Another suitor?"

"That's what it looks like. But why so early in the morning?"

"Who knows, with the way father's been acting lately…" Sarah let her sentence trail into nothing, and Toby nodded in understanding.

Two months had passed since the death of their mother, and ever since then, the King had been sorting through every type of women imaginable. All of them beautiful, but some short, some tall, some kind, some cruel, some wild, some quiet, and, if Sarah could recall correctly, one with a horribly obnoxious laugh that still made her wince every time she thought of it.

"He's just trying to fulfill mother's wish, that's all," Sarah muttered. Toby scowled at her.

"Don't defend him Sarah; you know that he's changed. Mom would have wanted his happiness, not this desperate search. He's done nothing but entertain one woman after another, and it's making me sick."

But Sarah shook her head. "This will all go away, Toby. You'll see."

He gave her a reproachful look. "Who are you trying to convince? Me, or yourself?"

The princess looked away. "Go get ready, Toby. Father will be expecting us."

She did not look up until she heard her chamber door slam shut.

With a sigh, Sarah got out of bed and crossed over to her wardrobe. Opening it, she sifted through the fabric, looking for only one dress in particular. It had once been her mother's, and had been a wedding gift from a fae family once upon a time when her parents had gotten married. It was a magic dress that would flatter anyone who wore it, but that wasn't the reason Sarah wanted to wear it; the back automatically laced itself after it was put on, and since none of her maids were awake this early in the morning, she figured she would need all the help she could get.

She found it and pulled it out of the closet, allowing the smooth green silk to slide over hands. For a moment, she held it against her, her face pressed into the fabric, and in that moment, she could almost imagine she was holding her mother, her unique scent of roses washing over her.

"Hurry up!" Snapped a voice from the window.

Sarah turned to glower at her faerie servant. Leanun wasn't really a maid so much as she was an annoyance. She was a messenger for the royal family, a job that only existed for her because she wasn't good at anything else.

"Your father and his suitor are waiting for you," she continued airily. "Hopefully your brother is getting ready…" To Sarah's relief, she went away, probably off to torment Tobias with her superior attitude.

She pulled the dress over her head, gasping as it adjusted to her body and squirming as the laces laced themselves just a _bit _too tightly for her sake. Looking in the mirror at her wild bed hair, she flinched, and set about to the impossible task of taming it.

_If father wanted me to look truly presentable, then he wouldn't have called this little meeting at such a god-awful hour of the day, _she finally thought venomously, throwing her brush down and snatching up a few pins to pin up her hair in a passable bun. Slipping her feet into a casual pair of day slippers (who would see? her dress was long enough, after all), she flew out the door and down the hall at a brisk walk.

She was worried. As much as she tried to tell herself that it was not so, she could no longer deny that her father was a changed man. Just one week before, a hostile neighboring kingdom had ransacked one of the villages in her father's land. The man she had known before would not have stood for it, but he had been replaced by a weak shell of a king who had simply stared blankly at the panicked messenger before shrugging his shoulders and looking away.

And then there was this whole suitor business…this one was the twelfth woman to pass under her father's eyes as a potential queen in the past two months. And it was always the same. He entertained them and smiled cool smiles that didn't quite reach his hollow eyes, and then dismissed them. He would say that they had the wrong shade of hair, or didn't like the way they smiled at him. It was enough to make Sarah ill.

This was not the way a king should act.

As she neared the dining hall, the sound of raised voices drew her attention. Outside the closed doors stood the guards, and she noticed they had their heads tilted towards the heated conversation going on inside. Irritated, Sarah stalked up to them.

"My father does not pay you to eavesdrop, fools," she spat. Looking embarrassed, they snapped back to attention and looked straight ahead. Sarah felt guilty. Though eavesdropping was wrong, and she could technically cast them out for it, her father would have never argued with anyone where someone could hear him before. He had been growing careless.

Swallowing nervously, she proceeded through the doors.

She was just in time to see the hem of a golden gown whip out of sight as its owner rushed through one of the back doors, her loud cries cut off suddenly as she slammed the door behind her.

Toby had arrived before her, and was staring at something in front of him, his face completely white. Sarah rushed to his side. "What's happened here?"

Her brother looked up at her and then took her chin in his hand and turned her head so she could see the figure that had sunk to his knees in front of the empty throne.

Their father.

"Father." Sarah ran to his side as quickly as her gown would allow it. "Father!"

As she reached out to touch him, he rose quickly, making her jump back. His mouth was curled into an angry snarl, his eyes glittering with a deranged light. Sarah backed away hastily and felt Toby draw up beside her, one of his hands automatically seeking hers.

This man could not be their father.

"How could she have done this to me!" He howled viciously, his hands fisting in his hair. "I loved her, and she left me!"

"No, Father," Sarah whispered quietly, but he did not hear.

"She told me to find someone who was beautiful, someone with spirit! How could she! Who in this kingdom is more beautiful than she? What woman has a spirit that could ever compare to hers?"

"My lord, please calm yourself."

Sarah whipped around and noticed for the first time that Leoir was there, perched on the shoulder of one of her father's other advisors. The entire council was there, all staring at her father with mixed expressions of shock and disgust. Sarah wanted to shield him from their prying eyes. She wanted to wake up from this awful nightmare.

"I cannot! My life isn't worth living!" He tore at his golden hair.

"How can you say this?" Leoir protested furiously. "Look at your children! Your son and daughter are worth living for!"

"My children?" The King echoed bitterly.

"Yes!" Desperation was creeping into the worm's voice. "Tobias will be a king one day, after all. And look at Sarah! Look at how beautiful she is. She will certainly make a fine queen!"

The King grew very stiff at the mention of Sarah's name, and turned around to face her slowly. While Sarah was relieved that her father had ceased to make a spectacle of himself, the way he was looking at her was making her nervous. Toby noticed it as well, and stepped in front of her slightly, his grip on her hand growing tighter.

"Of course," her father whispered. "Why didn't I think of it?"

"My lord…?" Leoir sounded nervous.

When Leoir was nervous, it was usually a good time to start panicking.

Her father walked smoothly towards her, and while every instinct screamed at her to flee, Sarah could not bring herself to run from him. He was her father; surely he would never harm her. And so she forced herself to stand still before him, even as he reached out to stroke a lock of her hair that had fallen out of place.

"Sarah," he rumbled softly, gazing into her eyes. "You are beautiful."

"T-thank you, my lord," Sarah responded shakily.

His eyes swept over her form, widening slightly in surprise, and Sarah remembered that she was wearing what had once been her mother's dress.

What had she been thinking?

But rather than looking displeased, the King looked soothed at her appearance. He resumed stroking her hair. "Sarah."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Tell me your greatest dream."

Confused, Sarah looked to Leoir for help, but he looked just as puzzled as she did. Toby was staring at her from where he had been shunted to one side, his face muddled with confusion. She looked back at her father, who was staring at her expectantly, and decided to tell him the truth.

"I dream about flying, my lord. I dream about how it would feel to be one with the clouds, to chase birds all day and enjoy the sun's warmth." His eyes glittered and she swallowed before sweeping on. "I think about how amazing it would feel if one morning, I just woke up and realized I was floating."

An odd smile stretched across his face. "Your imagination indeed rivals that of Melinda's, my dear."

Ice cold fear gripped her insides. Certainly he could not be insinuating what she thought he was?

_No…_

"My council!" Her father declared roughly, grabbing her by the shoulders and twirling her around. "May I present to you my future queen?"

_NO!_

Toby gasped as Sarah fell forward onto her knees. The advisors rushed forward as she fell, one of them wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back to her feet.

"Are you mad, man?" He shouted, his hands resting on Sarah's shoulders. "She is your daughter!"

"All the more reason to choose her! For who could ever surpass Melinda other than her own blood?"

Sarah shivered. Any moment she would be waking up now.

_No, you won't be. Think, Sarah, think…_

"There are plenty of beautiful women in this kingdom," another man snapped furiously. "Certainly they are enough to tempt you?"

"No," her father replied stubbornly, his eyes only on Sarah. "I am not interested them at all."

"My King," Leoir stepped up to try his luck, his wide eyes filled with grief and despair. "Please listen to us. You are upset, you distressed. Do not do something so rash, you aren't thinking clearly!"

"This is the clearest I've been in weeks," the King said quietly. "I've made my decision."

While his attention was on his advisors, Tobias stole up behind her. "Ask for something impossible," he breathed in her ear. "Something that can't be obtained."

_Toby, you little genius!_

"My lord."

Everyone's eyes turned to me.

"If we are to be married, then you must present me with a wedding gift."

"Sarah, no!" Leoir's despair was almost her undoing, but she kept a sweet smile plastered on her face as she gazed up at the fiend who had once been a beloved father.

He was smiling triumphantly. "Anything you wish, my beloved."

She pretended to deliberate. "But, even now, my imagination runs away with me. I can't choose on simply _one_ gift."

"If my lady wants more than one gift, I will not deny her."

Sarah smiled up at him. "Would _four_ gifts be too much, my lord?"

The King's smile never wavered. "Any want or need of yours shall be met when you are my queen."

"Very well. Give me a dress as golden as the sun, a dress silver as the moon, and a dress that sparkles like stars. And.."

Her eyes fell on Leoir, who was watching her with an amazed, admirable look in his eyes. She thought back to their last true heart-to-heart talk on the night of her mother's death. She could remember talking about a prince who could turn into an owl…

"...and a cloak of a thousand feathers."

The King looked stunned, and she half-expected him to retreat right then and there. But then, a smile unfurled across his face.

"Whatever you want, you shall have. You will find that nothing is impossible for me."

* * *

"A brilliant idea, Princess, but do you think it will work?"

Sarah shrugged. "It gives me time to think up an alternative plan."

She strolled calmly through the gardens, Leoir perched on her shoulder. She had just been released from the Throne Room, though not before the King had taken it upon himself to kiss her hand. Her fingers flexed in response to the unwanted memory.

"Leoir?"

"Hmm?"

Sarah sat down on the edge of a stone bench. "If you ran away and didn't want to be found, where would you go?"

The blue worm deliberated for a moment. "To a place where no one would look for me."

"And where would no one look for me?"

He looked at her. "Sarah, I think you underestimate the extent of your father's madness. If we ran, there would be no place left untouched in his search for you."

"Then where would be the last place he would look?"

"A place you would be unfamiliar with, the last place you would go. Perhaps the kingdom of a-"

"-a trusted friend?" Sarah interjected. She stood up and began to walk again. "Then I think I have the perfect place in mind."

* * *

"Well, my dear? Is this not what you asked for?"

Sarah could only nod slowly, staring down at the three dresses lying side-by-side on the table.

The first dress was spun from gold so finely that it was feather-light when she lifted it. The silver one was very much the same. The dress of diamonds was woven of silver silk with the precious jewels sewed in at every interval, so when it moved, it indeed sparkled like stars.

The feather cloak was hideous in comparison, but Sarah had to admire its unique beauty.

"The inside is lined with down feathers," the King said pompously, following her gaze. "There is no softer cloak in all of the Kingdoms. And, of course, it is made of a thousand feathers. Just as promised."

"Do you accept my wedding gift, my love?"

Sarah glanced towards Leoir, sitting quietly on the shoulder of one of the advisors, who were staring at her with pity. He gave her a tiny nod.

"I accept, my King."

He smiled. "Then we shall be wed tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?" Sarah's voice came out as a frightened squeak.

"The sooner the better. Unless you have an objection?"

Sarah shook her head hesitantly.

"Then it is done. You should retire, my dear. The hour has grown late." He bent down and kissed her cheek, an action that once would have been affectionate and soothing, but was now something akin to the kiss of death.

She turned heel and began to walk away, deliberately taking the long way around the room so she could brush shoulders with one of the advisors.

"My apologies," she muttered as he stepped back.

It was not until she had entered the Entrance hall that Leoir peered out from her curtain of hair, wobbling precariously on her shoulder where he had slipped on when she had bumped into the councilman.

"We must leave at once!" He hissed in her ear.

"I know."

The journey to her room was rushed as she flew down the halls, her dress hiked up in her hands. When she reached her door, she slipped inside and closed it quickly behind her. But not a moment had passed before someone was knocking on it.

"Sarah?"

She flung it open and Toby barreled through, embracing her. "You can't leave without saying goodbye."

Sarah hugged him back fiercely, but something felt off; Toby seemed unnaturally bulky. She pulled back to see that he was clutching several dresses in his arms, and recognized them as her wedding gifts. A glimpse of feathers told her that the feather mantle was among them. Toby saw were she was looking and smiled wryly.

"You forgot these when you left. I brought them with me; you never know when you might need them." He gestured to the diamond dress. "This one would sell at a very high price, should you ever need the money."

Tears stung her eyes at her brother's thoughtfulness, and she gave him another hug. "Toby, you're the best."

Leoir coughed. "We can't waste the whole night, Sarah…"

"Yes, yes," Sarah responded, flustered. She searched the room for her knapsack, which she had used on her frequent journeys to foreign kingdoms, but as she hadn't traveled much as of late, she hadn't seen it around. She finally found it stuffed in the corner of her wardrobe, and pulled it loose where it was caught underneath dress fabrics, shaking it free of wrinkles.

"Here," Toby said, holding out his hand. She tossed it to him, and he carefully lowered the three dresses into the bag. He hesitated before adding the cloak as well, glancing out at the night sky. "The inside of the cloak is stuffed with fur and feathers. I think you should wear it when you go, it'll keep you warm."

"A clever idea," Leoir muttered. Sarah swung the cloak over her shoulders, amazed at how quickly it warmed her, and continued to search the room for anything she might need. She threw upon the top drawer of her dresser and sifted around it, wincing when her hand brushed something sharp.

She pulled out an aged medallion, a small crystal orb, and a solid gold feather, weighing them in her hands. They were just trinkets and jewels, probably with little value (excluding the feather, of course), but she put them in her bag anyways. Maybe if she ever got bored of her lifestyle, she could ponder over them.

She took off the feather mantle and pulled the sack up onto her back before putting the cloak back on. The cloak itself was so bulky and odd that it disguised the bag she had slung over her shoulders.

"Alright. This is it."

"Princess, wait! Your face!"

Sarah touched her cheek. "What about it? It's perfectly fine."

The worm sighed. "Exactly. You must conceal it. Use soot from the fireplace."

_Me, a princess, wipe dirt on my face? _Sarah cringed at the thought, but another image of herself approaching her father in a wedding dress quickly banished her vanity and pride. She crossed to the fireplace and dipped her hand into the ashes, wiping it across her brow and cheeks, nose and chin, until she was certain that there was no part of her skin left uncovered.

Toby whistled softly when she rose. "Wow, Sarah, if I didn't know you were my sister, I'd call you a kitchen rat."

She pulled a face. "Thanks, brother."

He grinned easily. "No problem. Don't worry about things here. I'll hold the place down until we can find a way to get rid of him."

"Don't do anything stupid."

"What, like run away?" He winked. "I can take care of myself. Now you get out of here. The guards who watch over the back gate have probably just retired, and I know for a fact that their replacements are usually about ten minutes late."

Sarah threw her arms around her brother affectionately. "I'll miss you, Toby."

He returned it double, practically breaking her ribs. "I'll miss you too. Be careful."

They left the room together, but went their separate ways at the back door to avoid suspicion. Toby gave her an encouraging smile before turning down a hall and disappearing from her sight. Sarah looked after him for a moment, but Leoir coughed quietly from where he was nestled comfortably among the feathers.

"We don't have much time."

"Right."

She strode out across the lawn, wanting desperately to run, but knowing that to do so would be foolish. To her immense relief, she saw that Toby had been correct, and the back gate stood unguarded. She started for it, but saw something move out of the corner of her eye and froze.

But it was just a peach tree. But not any peach tree; it had been a gift to her mother from the Goblin Queen. It was enchanted to keep its fruit all year round, and it never died. Even now, in the deep of winter, it remained as leafy and green as ever, the ground beneath it where its roots touched also as lively and frost-free as it would ever be. Sarah studied it for a moment, and then walked up to it.

"Princess?"

She ignored the advisor and looked up at the peaches that hung above her, just within reach. Even after being plucked from the tree, the peach would still remain ripe for years. Reaching up, Sarah snagged one and pulled it gently from its branch.

"Just in case."

When the replacement guard finally bumbled down to take their places at the gate, they noticed nothing amiss and stood there, muttering amongst themselves about how cold it was and whether or not it would snow that night.

The Princess and the worm were gone.

* * *

**read and review (:**


	2. Flight of Thousandfeathers

**ner ner ner, finally an update, five and a half months down the road :) sorry to keep you waiting.**

* * *

She was tired, and though her cloak was lined with fur and kept most of the cold out, the chill pre-dawn air still stole through her body, and she shivered.

"Now, walk a few paces to the left, Princess."

Sarah frowned, but did as she was told. For the better half of the night, she had been walking in erratic paths, first to the left, then to the right, then diagonally forward, then stepping back into her footsteps that she had made to go back where she had started to make a different path. It was a tedious task, but necessary; towards the middle of the night, it had begun to snow, and the pair was not very keen on leading their pursuers straight to them because of the trail she had left behind.

The princess clenched the feathered cloak around her, her ash-covered fingers staining wherever they touched, adding to her bedraggled appearance. She wondered if her father had come looking for her yet, and she shook again, though this time it was not from the piercing cold wind.

According to Leoir, she had already crossed into the Goblin Kingdom. Now, it was simply a matter of finding the Goblin City, assuming that she had not already passed it. The worm claimed to know the way, but Sarah was skeptical. After all, he had only ever entered the kingdom on the shoulders of the human diplomats, and always in the warmth and safety of a carriage driven by those who stayed on the beaten road. Leoir had insisted on staying far away from the well-used paths, and Sarah had agreed with him whole-heartedly. But in exchange for a low profile, it now seemed that they were both lost. And she was so tired – the night's walk, combined with the cold, had sapped her of nearly all her strength and it was only because of Leoir's constant encouragement that she hadn't lain down and frozen to death hours ago.

"Leoir? Is this a hunting trail?"

"I…it appears to be so, Princess."

As the worm inched forward from behind her curtain of hair to get a closer look, Sarah herself leaned forward. The footprints were not clearly defined like they would have been if they were fresh. The snowfall had long since filled them in, so they appeared to be indentations in the snow rather than anything that would have been left behind by a hound or horse. In fact, they wouldn't have even truly looked out of the ordinary if they didn't all follow a straight path through the wood, cutting diagonally across the path Sarah and Leoir themselves had been forging.

Sarah looked left and saw no one, and got the same result upon looking to her right. She tilted her head towards the diplomat, not able to turn her head completely with jostling him.

"Do you think it's safe to follow?"

Leoir was quiet for a moment. "It seems like that would be our best course of action. But if this is really a hunting trail, you must be cautious about where you place your feet."

She nodded, understanding. "Traps."

"Traps," Leoir echoed.

The set off along the old trail left behind by what they hoped to be local villagers. Sarah, heeding Leoir's warning, kept her eyes down, carefully inspecting each place she stepped. She tried to put her own feet in the old prints of whatever had been there before her, figuring that no one would set up a snare where they had been walking. The finding of the trail gave her tired feet a hopeful sort of energy, and as they walked, she peppered Leoir with questions.

"What are the King and Queen like?"

He sighed, but seemed to resign himself to her curiosity. "Why don't you tell me what you've learned about them first?"

Sarah had to think back to one of her first lessons for that, a crease forming between her eyebrows as she tried to remember. "King Airdeall came to possess the throne over two centuries ago after his Uncle…" she trailed off uncertainly.

"Ruarc," Leoir supplied.

"After his Uncle Ruarc died. They said that Ruarc was the Champion of the native people of the Goblin Kingdom, for he never shirked from them in fear or disdain, but danced with and laughed at them, and encouraged them in their mischief. When he died, Airdeall's eldest brother attempted to take over the Kingdom, but he was cruel and stoic, and the goblins rebelled against the harsh standards he tried to implement amongst them. But Airdeall was kind and compassionate, and did not mind the goblins' unsightly appearances and actions, so it did not take the court long to decide to place him on the throne instead."

"You have a very good memory." Sarah could hear the warmth in his voice, and she smiled a little herself. "What else do you know about him?"

"Only that he is very handsome."

"I don't approve of that wistful tone, young lady."

Sarah laughed, and after a moment of keeping up his pretense of scolding, Leoir joined in.

"And what of the Queen?"

She frowned. Queen Maidin had come from another foreign land that apparently wasn't important enough for her studies, for she had never been taught about her childhood, only that she had chosen by Airdeall himself to be his bride. "She is the most beautiful woman in the Underground. The strength of her compassion and fairness outweighs the strength of an entire army." She paused as she stepped around a suspicious-looking dark object which turned out only to be a tree root. "Her skin is pale as the moon and her hair is darker than a raven's feathers."

"Indeed it is."

Before Leoir could interject a history lesson about the Goblin Queen, Sarah quickly spoke up. "Why is her hair so dark? I thought that all of the fair-folk were, well, fair."

"I have never been to her homeland, but it is said that all those who live there are born with dark hair. This is the most widely accepted explanation for it, but there are those who would tell you that she is half human." Skepticism colored his tone.

"And you don't think so?"

"Maidin is far too graceful to have a drop of human blood in her veins."

Sarah sniffed and pursed her lips, not responding. Leoir chuckled.

"Do not be that way, Princess. You are very graceful in your own right, but even you have tripped and stumbled at some point or another." He laughed again at the flush that stained her cheeks. "A fae will never falter in their step. Even the smallest child knows how to walk with perfect grace, head high and all. And even though I know that they walk like everyone else, there are times when even I am half-convinced that they glide over the ground rather than touch it. It is something that no human can imitate."

Perhaps it happened because Sarah was still offended at Leoir's comment, and had failed to pay attention to the trail. She didn't notice that she had stepped into the snare until she lifted her foot to bring it in front of the other, and the wire suddenly closed around her ankle. The princess fell forward instantly, feathers flying around her as she sank into the snow. White-hot pain raced up her leg and she twisted around to see the shining silver wire winking at her in the light of the rising sun, wrapped viciously around her ankle and drawing up blood.

Her first instinct was to jerk her foot away, and she did. The wire tightened, and she shrieked in pain as it cut further into her skin.

"Princess, don't move!" Leoir shimmied out from where he had been smothered between her hair and her hood. Sarah didn't respond, but began to cry in earnest as the snow around her foot began to run red. "Shh," the worm soothed. "Don't cry, we must remain hidden. I'll look at it and see if you could possibly loosen it."

Sarah stuffed her hand in her mouth in a most undignified way to restrain herself, wincing at the taste of soot on her fingers. Tears still ran down her face, but she bit down determinedly on her fist to keep from making noise. Leoir made a tutting noise in the back of his throat as he inched back to the warmth of her hood, shivering slightly.

"I'm afraid there's no fixing it, Princess, the wire is deep in the skin."

She was a princess, not a warrior. She was tired after having fled through a cold, unknown land, terrified of what her father would do to her if he ever found her, terrified of what he would do to her brother if he ever found out he had helped her escape. And now she was caught in a snare like an animal, dressed like an animal, probably looked and stank like an animal. She choked out a sob around her hand, but before she could completely dissolve into hysterics, a voice sounded through the trees.

"I think we've caught something!"

"Already? The traps haven't been laid for a day!"

Heavy steps shook the earth under her head as the newcomers approached on horseback. There was a lighter sound, small claws scraping hard earth mixed with panting, and before she knew it, a dog had nosed its way into her hood, its cold nose brushing her cheek and making her jump.

"Be gone," she hissed angrily. The dog wagged its tail and licked at her face, but a sharp whistled called it back before much damage could be done.

"What is that thing?"

This voice was different from the other two. While they all had the tones of refined nobility, his carried an air of haughtiness and arrogance that made Sarah want to grind her teeth in irritation. The manner in which he spoke and called her a _thing _made him sound like he had just stepped in something unpleasant to be scraped off his boots. But she settled for scowling into the folds of her cloak.

"We aren't entirely sure."

A disdainful sniff. "Check it, then."

There was thud, the sound of someone dismounting their horse. Boots crunched the snow, louder as the man grew nearer, nearer than Sarah would have liked. Beside her, Leoir held his breath. The footsteps stopped. And suddenly, there was an inquisitive hand on her waist.

With a shriek, Sarah whipped around, her hand flying out wildly, landing a blow on the poor man's ear. He gave a cry of surprise, and she let out her own pained cry as well, for her action had jarred her foot, and the wicked wire sank in deeper. Her hood had slid off her face and Leoir had fallen into the back of it; she could feel him squirming about, trying to regain a sense of direction, but she paid him little mind.

The man she had hit was staring at her with a sense of befuddlement, as though she was something that had just sprouted from the ground. Had she not been in pain, she probably would have laughed at his wide eyes and slack jaw, and the way his hand had frozen halfway up to cradle his ear. But as it were, she did happen to be in a lot of pain, and this man had just touched her. Violated her person. A touch or kiss on the hand was acceptable at most, but the waist? Never. She glared at him defiantly.

"Don't touch me."

At her defiant tone, Leoir groaned softly into her hair.

For a few moments more, there was complete silence, and then someone laughed. She turned her head, careful not to move the rest of her body, to glower at the offender.

There were two other men, both on horseback, while the other horse that she assumed belonged to the man she had hit stood by a little ways behind. One of the men had short, sandy hair and a round, boyish face. Upon her inspection of him, he beamed and gave her a wink, and she was almost inclined to smile back. But then her eyes shifted to the other young man who stood a little in front of the boy-faced one, who looked back at her with strange eyes and a hand on his waist.

He was astonishingly beautiful. His pale face was all sharp planes and angles, and the feathery hair that framed it was gold as the sun. But his eyes were the most striking of his appearance. One was a pale, striking blue, and the other was murky brown. But at this instant, both were focused on her with the same amusement as a smirk pulled up the corners of his mouth.

"Well, gentlemen, it appears we've caught ourselves a woman."

The other two chuckled as he leapt off his horse. Sarah followed his movements, feeling appreciation mingle with disdain. She could see what Leoir had meant by the inhuman grace.

He stood over her, his boots barely an inch from her nose, and looked down at her, head cocked to the side with an air of curiosity, but still with the same arrogant smirk in place.

"You're a servant," Leoir breathed in her ear. "You're looking for work and you got lost-"

"What are you doing in my trap, human?"

Sarah felt a stab of irritation. "I didn't do it on purpose," she snapped back irritably. Behind her interrogator, Boy-Face grinned.

The golden-haired fae did not look so amused. "I don't like your tone, woman. Do you know who you are addressing?"

"You can't be anyone important," she growled in response. "Even the smallest of royal children probably have better manners than you."

His winged eyebrows quirked up. "And you would know this for a fact?"

_Yes, I would! _Her mind bellowed at him, but she clenched her jaw. If she was a plain servant, she had no idea what went on in the castle… "It is what I've heard."

That annoying smirk returned. "Ah. A woman, a human, _and_ a gossip. Your chances of being released from the snare are dwindling by the minute."

Sarah had quite forgotten about the snare when she had seen him, but at his mention of it, her ankle gave a painful throb, and she clenched her fists in response, nails biting into her palms.

It killed her. She had never had to beg for something in her entire life. "Please…please help me," she whispered.

His odd eyes narrowed. "I don't think I shall. You've conveniently neglected to tell us of your purpose here."

"I…I am a servant. I'm looking for work."

"How is it that you lost your work to begin with?" he shot back.

Sarah fidgeted. Behind her, Leoir was silent. "My parents abandoned me. They wanted to leave for another village, but did not want the burden of taking me. So they left me on the road."

"Most would have stayed on the road and not strayed." Sarah flushed. "Is there no human Kingdom where you could find work?"

She neglected to answer that, instead casting her eyes down and bowing her head in the most submissive pose she could offer. "Please, I've traveled so far and I'm so tired."

He snorted, but turned away. "Robyn, assist her."

"My lord has but to say the word." Boy-face laughed and dismounted his horse swiftly with the same grace as the haughty man, and ambled over to her side. "Robyn, at your service, my lady. And who might you be?"

Sarah couldn't tell if he was mocking her or not, but she turned her face away and pressed her lips together tightly. He laughed.

"Oh, very well, we all have our secrets."

_You have no idea._

**888888888888888888888888888 **

Sarah sat sidesaddle on the rowan horse in front of Robyn, his thin arms wrapped around her waist to keep her from sliding off. It was rather uncomfortable – the rocking of the horse shook her from side to side, they way its shoulders shifted underneath her, and the way she was leaning into the chest of a man – fae – that she didn't even know in the slightest. But it was still preferable to floundering through the snow, and she felt a certain safety in his arms that she hadn't truly felt since her mother's death.

Robyn had banished the snare with a wave of his hand and healed her cut in the same motion, all in about five seconds. They had all mounted their horses then, with him offering her a place on his. Sarah couldn't help but feel a swell of gratitude for him for being so kind, even though she was so dirty. She had accepted, and he had promised her a place in the kitchens at the very least. The others had remained quiet, riding side-by-side a little ways ahead and talking quietly. Sarah had spent most of her time glowering at the back of the rude one's head.

Above her, Robyn had finally seemed to realize where she was looking. "Don't judge him so harshly, my lady, the prince rarely consorts with human servants."

_Neither did I, but I never treated them like animals, _she thought savagely. But then, her tired brain caught up to the rest of Robyn's sentence. "Prince?"

"Oh, yes, that's Prince Jareth."

Behind her curtain of hair, Leoir gasped and Sarah winced. She had actually sneered at a Prince! She was lucky she hadn't been thrown out of his lands on the spot. In spite of her embarrassment, curiosity rose in her. "If he is the Prince, then you are…?"

"The Duke's son," Robyn responded smartly, raising his head proudly. He nodded to the other fae at Jareth's side. "That's Estel, he's a cousin or something close to that. I don't know what exactly his connection is to royalty in his immediate family, but if he's related to the Prince, then that's good enough."

The horse made an uneven step and stumbled a bit, nearly jarring Sarah out of her position. She was forced to cling to Robyn's vest, and he smirked at her, amused. She gaped at him; she had left great streaks of soot all over his pristine white shirt, and all he did was laugh at her.

"Why don't you think me repulsive?"

He blinked. "My lady, most of my days are spent amongst goblins, and no matter how dirty you are, you could never be as grotesque as them."

She frowned; so he only thought her pretty by comparing her to goblins, perhaps the ugliest creatures in the Underground besides the trolls. It was a stinging blow to her pride, but she accepted it for the sake of her insatiable curiosity.

"If you're from the Goblin Kingdom, then why aren't you-"

"A goblin?"

She nodded.

"Most of the court is made up by the fae, with the exception of the handful of goblin representatives who are there on behalf of the population."

"That seems rather unfair…why not let more goblins be a part of their government?"

Robyn laughed. "All hell would break loose, my dear. Surely you've at least heard the rumors about how evil the little beasts are? No, things are fine the way they are. If they were unhappy, believe you me, they'd let us know."

Sarah remembered the rebellion against Airdeall's brother, and saw the sense in his words. Upon thinking of the King, however, she was soon frowning again. "I've also heard…rumors…that the King and Queen are the kindest beings of the land."

"I'm glad to say that those rumors are very much true," Robyn responded instantly. Sarah smiled at his loyalty.

"But if they are so kind, why is their son so rude?"

He sighed. "Noble parents rarely have any part in their child's upbringing. I myself spent most of my youth with a wet nurse, and any time I spent with my parents was usually strained; most couples don't really put very much focus on their offspring, only assign others to keep them safe and educate them."

Sarah was no stranger to this; she had experienced it as well, but her parents had usually seen her at least once a week, and the meetings were never strained or forced at all. "But if they're as kind as you say-"

"It's not a matter of kindness, it's a matter of obligation," he snapped primly, seemingly offended. "I don't know how politics were run in your country, but here, the kingdom comes first."

Raising her hands in a placating matter, Sarah bowed her head in defeat. "Alright, _alright_."

Ahead, the trees were thinning out, and she could see something beyond them, something like a gigantic wall. In spite of herself, Sarah leaned forward in anticipation; she had heard of the vast labyrinth the guarded the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, and had seen many depictions of it, but had never actually seen it for herself. To her disappointment, however, the Prince veered his horse sharply to the left before they could completely break through the trees, and she sagged in disappointment.

"We aren't going through the Labyrinth?"

"Ah, so you've heard of it, have you?"

She tilted her head back to look at him. "Who hasn't?"

"Good point. But to answer your question, we will not be traveling through the labyrinth today." He smiled, and seemed quite over their little disagreement moments before. "It would take far too long. Prince Jareth knows a shortcut."

"A shortcut?"

"Yes. But don't get any ideas," he added, misinterpreting her calculating expression for one of mischief. "The labyrinth recognizes only royal blood, and will not part for you."

Sarah frowned. She hadn't been thinking of using this shortcut to cause trouble; rather, she had thought it would come in handy in case she needed to make a quick escape. But apparently it was not to be so. "You say the labyrinth recognizes things?"

"Indeed it does. It is a very clever entity."

"How does it do that?"

He threw her a bemused glance. "Is it normal for a servant to be so talkative?"

For what felt like the thousandth time that day, Sarah blushed. Leoir laughed quietly from his place in her hood, and she gave him a swat under the pretense of rubbing her head. "I suppose I forgot my place."

"Do not worry, my lady, I only jest."

They finally stepped out into a clear space, a small stretch of field that ended where the high walls of the labyrinth rose up. Sarah craned her neck to see how far up it went, and, to her surprise, it rose only to about fifty feet; high enough to keep out someone on foot, but there were other methods of travel in the Underground. She felt a frown pull down the corners of her mouth. She had heard about how impenetrable the labyrinth was, supposedly impossible to get through without the proper willpower and strength. But it seemed that all you had to do was find someone who could fly over it.

The Prince led them to the nearest wall before pulling back the reigns of his horse, which grunted and stamped at his restraint. But before it could grow too restless, his master's hand had reached out and brushed lightly against the wall.

Where his hand touched, cracks in the wall began to spider web outwards until the stone seemed to almost fold in on itself, breaking away in different places entirely. When the wall was finished rearranging itself, they were standing before a simple opening in the rock. Sarah peered around Estel, who was blocking her view, to see that instead of opening into the rest of the Labyrinth, the way opened only to darkness. But if this fazed the Prince or his horse, neither gave any indication of fear, and strode straight into the blackness without looking back. Estel followed behind in the same manner, and Robyn, Sarah, and Leoir came behind him. The horse that carried them seemed a little unused to this magic, and it took them a fair bit of coaxing before it would go near the portal. As he trudged forward nervously, even Robyn looked a bit anxious, and Sarah looked at him, confused.

"Shouldn't you be used to traveling like this?"

He grimaced. "Rule of thumb, my Lady. Never set out on a dark path if you don't know where it ends."

Sarah bit back a groan. _How many rules am I going to break? _But she didn't have time to voice her woe, for they had stepped into the darkness.

She didn't know what she had been expecting – maybe a loud roaring noise or a great _whoosh_ of magic – but nothing of the sort happened. They just walked and walked forward in the great void. Or, at elast, she hoped they were walking forward. But for all she knew, they could have veered off suddenly to the left or right, and they'd never have a way of knowing. But Robyn didn't grow any more nervous than he had been; in fact, he seemed to be relaxing.

"It's a simple shortcut spell," Leoir murmured in her ear, making her jump a little. "All one has to do is keep moving, and they'll reach their destination eventually."

"Did you say something, my Lady?"

"Oh, no," Sarah said quickly, shaking her head slightly to warn Leoir off.

Even as the worm had been speaking, she could see a pale light growing in the distance. And gradually, the darkness around her slowly formed into walls, the darkness beneath the horse's hooves become a floor, and the light, no longer a distant pinprick, stretched across the sky. The last of the darkness in front of them melted away to reveal the Prince and Estel waiting for them. Estel looked indifferent, while the Prince looked annoyed. Without a word, he waved his hand and turned his horse around to continue up the path. As they followed behind in silence, Sarah craned her neck around to see that the portal had closed up, and there was nothing but a stretch of wall where they had walked through.

Over the next few minutes, they navigated a series of twists and turns through the stone maze. Sarah kept her eyes open, trying to keep track of every step they took, of every path they went down, but the Prince led them through so many, she had to give up. But finally, they rounded one last corner, and Sarah couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her.

The castle wasn't pretty in the way most castles were, built of white marble and glass as they were, but it had a sort of intimidating beauty about it all the same. Built of solid stone, it had an imposing, battle-scarred look that blatantly displayed strength and power. But the red stone it was built from exuded a certain warmth as well, so it managed to stop short of cold and unwelcoming. An odd first impression, to be sure.

They were waylaid at the gate by a small creature that the horses could have easily trampled over, but, to Sarah's surprise, the Prince merely laughed – a real laugh, not like when he had been mocking her in the snare. She found she rather liked the sound of it.

"Certainly you would not turn away the Prince?"

The creature – which she realized to be a fox – seemed to reconsider, and bowed deeply. "Of course not, my Lord." He stood aside and allowed them to passing, bowing to each of them in turn. When his eyes landed on Sarah, they grew wide with surprise, but Robyn was still urging his horse forward, and before the fox could speak, they were beyond the gate, still following behind the others.

**888888888888888888888888888 **

"Perhaps she could be used as a chamber maid?"

"Certainly not. Look at her! Filthy!"

Sarah clenched her jaw while trying to keep up her best impression of destitution.

Upon arriving at the stables, the Prince and Estel had continued up to the castle without a backwards glance. Robyn had escorted Sarah to the servant's quarters behind the castle, and there they now stood. The head of the servants, Farad, was looking at her skeptically. "She'll work in the kitchens where she belongs. What did you say your name was?"

She wasn't foolish enough to offer her real name, but her mind was blank – what name could she possibly use? As she stood there with her mouth gaping like a fish, Farad snorted and plucked at her dirty cape, obviously looking for something else to torment her about.

"What is this? A cape of feathers?" He sneered. "Not exactly privy to current fashions, are you?"

Sarah drew her cloak tightly around her, hoping he wouldn't order her to throw it away. He laughed derisively. "You like it, don't you. Very well, then. If you can't think of your own name, I shall name you. And you will be Thousandfeathers. Katherine!"

His sudden bark made her jump violently, and another woman who looked to be a few years older than her hurried forward with a light curtsey.

"Show Thousandfeathers to the rooms, and instruct her on what is expected of her."

"Yes, Farad."

The man swept away, leaving Sarah to stare openly at Katherine, who stared back without flinching, pale blue eyes peering out from behind greasy strands of blond hair that had escaped a sloppy bun.

"Katherine?" Sarah ventured cautiously. To her surprise, the woman shook her head vehemently.

"No, I hate my name. And don't call me Kathy, either, because Kathy is what Farad calls his wife, and she's just as bad as he is."

Sarah felt her lips twitch in response to her honesty. "Well, then, what may I call you?"

She smiled. "You can call me Karen."

* * *

**eee, yes, your abrupt, sloppy ending senses are tingling, but I really just wanted to get this chapter out of my hair. we've established that jareth is indeed a douchebag and sarah will be working as a kitchen maid with karen. if you picked up those key points, then you've learned basically all you need to know thus far.**


End file.
